Winsted-Lester Prairie Journal, January 11,
1999

New Depot owner has ties to its past

A Lester Prairie staple, The Depot, has recently changed
hands to Angela Ross-Litzau.

While some entrepreneurs say that their business is in
their blood, Ross-Litzau can make that boast literally.

The original Depot was owned by her grandfather, Henry
Wiedenroth, who moved the city's train depot from downtown to its present
location on County Road 1 in 1979.

Now, his legacy continues in his granddaughter, who is
leasing the building from its former owner, Peter Jude.

"We own everything except the building and the lights,"
said Ross-Litzau.

But beyond that, she has a stake of memories associated
with that business and a desire to buy.

"Even when we (Ross-Litzau and her siblings) were
little when my grandpa had it, I remember coming in and my grandma letting
us run the till," said Ross-Litzau.

After Wiedenroth's tenure, Carolyn Ross (Angela's mother),
worked in The Depot under Jude's ownership from 1982 to 1994. Ross is the
current manager.

Ross-Litzau remembers working in the store at the age of
14.

Jude owned the store from 1979 to 1994. He then sold it,
but bought it back in 1996.

In 1998, he was going to close it down, but Ross-Litzau
made an offer. "I just couldn't see it becoming nothing," she
said.

That choice was very good for the regulars, which The Depot
has plenty of.

"We have our coffee guys in the morning," said
Ross. Lunch also sees a host of familiar faces who come and eat at the tables
in the back of the store or take out some hot pizza or a daily lunch special.

The regulars are so dedicated that they even visit on holidays.

Said Ross-Litzau, "Even on Thanksgiving, some of them
sat at that table for three hours, talking."

Those people who depend on it are one of the reasons why
she decided to buy.

While some people might believe that a daughter/mother
working relationship might be difficult, both ladies say working together
is easy.

"We don't really have a problem with it at all. We
can tell each other how we feel," Ross said.

That easy give-and-take will be an asset for future changes.
The newly installed pumps will soon be available to customers with credit
cards 24 hours a day, and the property will be tarred next year.

Ross also mentioned some plans in the works including possibly
doing some catering and, further down the road, adding a sit-down restaurant
in the form of an old dining train car to play up the train theme.

Another change that will affect the business will be the
upgrading of County Road 1. The new road will be a 10-ton road, allowing
hungry semi-truck drivers to stop in for snacks and gas.

As for Ross-Litzau, she admitted she didn't expect to be
where she is now. At 22 years old, she may be the youngest entrepreneur
in Lester Prairie. But she's happy The Depot is back in her family.

"Hopefully, I have a family one day that I can pass
it on to," she said.

Ross added that The Depot's return to the family has probably
made her father very happy.